Hip Hop News

Between giving Lucifer a hell-throned lapdance and selling Satan-centered shoes, Lil Nas X has been kicking up dust over the last few days. His “MONTERO (Call My By Your Name)” music video has created a firestorm as people have lauded for the “canceling” of the young star. Lil Nas X has stated that he’s been preparing for the release of his “MONTERO” single for the better parts of nine months, suggesting that he was fully prepared for the backlash. He has been checking people left and right as they disagree with him, but FKA Twig’s video director has a bone to pick with the singer regarding his visual looking eerily similar to the star’s music video for “Cellophane.”

Out Magazine reports that director Andrew Thomas Huang had a few comments about Lil Nas X’s latest visual. “There’s no winning when this happens,” Huang reportedly wrote on his Instagram Stories. “Been copied before but this feels different… Consider the power you wield and the artists you harm when you capitalize on our blood, sweat, tears, and emotional labor.”

In his interview Time, the rapper mentioned Twig’s pole work in her “Cellophane” video, and Huang later told the publication that this goes far beyond Lil Nas X. “It put into perspective how small, indie artists like me and Twigs don’t really don’t make a lot of money, and our platform is limited because we’re trying hard to make challenging work.”

“When someone who is commercially successful makes work that lives so similarly next to ours and profits from it on such a massive scale, then I felt like I had to speak up.” Huang added, “I think Twigs and Lil Nas are both doing important work. The question is, who benefits from their work? The answer is record labels. The anger it stokes between artists just increases divisions between underrepresented artists. So I think there’s something larger and systemic here at work.”

This evening (March 30), Lil Nas X shared a post to social media where he honored Huang and Twigs for their previous work. “I was not aware that the visual would serve as a major inspiration for those who worked on the effects of my video,” he wrote in the caption. “I want to say thank u to twigs for calling me and informing me about the similarities between the two videos, as i was not aware they were so close.” 

Check out a few tweets below along with FKA Twig’s music video for “Cellophane.”

[via][via]

The ruckus regarding Malik Beasley’s romance with Larsa Pippen may have died down, but the legal battle with his estranged wife, Montana Yao, continues. The Minnesota Timberwolves star, 24, was captured on a date with Pippen, 46, last year and after the photo went viral, people began to speculate about their relationship. Yao came forward to say she was unaware that her husband was dating, but Pippen claimed Beasley and Yao had split and have been separated.

Beasley and Pippen put on a united front against the trolls and accusations of infidelity, and on Tuesday (March 30), new reports have surfaced regarding Beasley’s divorce. According to Us Weekly, Beasley is contesting the paternity of the two-year-old son he shares with Yao. “[The] results of those tests are unknown as of the date of this Order,” the court documents reportedly state.

“Montana’s taking Makai to get one tomorrow [March 31],” Yao’s rep told the outlet regarding the paternity test. “It’s comical for her that he has requested a paternity test because this entire time on social media he has claimed Makai to be his son and he knows it’s his son.” Unsubstantiated rumors have circulated that Yao may have cheated on Beasley with an NFL player.

Additionally, it’s also reported that back in December 2020, Yao requested $8,000 per month in temporary spousal support, but yesterday (March 29), that was denied. She will, however, reportedly receive $6,500 per month in temporary child support.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MONTANA (@montanayao)

[via][via]

The announcement of Quavo and Saweetie’s breakup already had fans choosing sides, but celebrities are drawing lines, as well. On Tuesday (March 30), a video of a physical altercation reportedly involving Quavo and Saweetie surfaced. The two artists began dating back in 2018 and by the look of things, they were happily in love. They showed up on red carpets together, posed for cute photos on social media, and Saweetie often bragged about the expensive gifts her Migos boyfriend lavished her with. It’s clear things weren’t what they seemed, and after Quavo caught heat over the recently released elevator clip, champion boxer Adrien Broner has stated that he supports the Atlanta artist.

“I ain’t see nothing wrong in that video if you ask me,” Broner wrote on Instagram. “That’s black love if me and my significant other don’t argue like that den I don’t want her cause I rather have somebody who might punch me while I’m sleep before I take a beautiful women who sneak off and f*ck another N*gga while I’m sleep… it’s the black tough love for me.”

Vivien Killilea / Stringer / Getty Images

In the caption, Broner continued his thoughts. “@quavohuncho I’m behind you my n*gga keep yo head up we all know you was a great N*gga to that women and it ain’t my business but I hate to see another black man get tore down in this world[strong arm emoji]#Culture3.” Check out Broner’s post below and let us know if you agree with him.

The unexpected July 2020 death of Naya Rivera is playing out in court. The Glee actress drowned in California’s Lake Piru after reportedly pushing her son on a boat to safety before losing her life. There have been varying reports regarding Rivera’s death and her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Ventura County Parks and Recreation Management. According to them, the boat Rivera and her son Josey rented was unsafe because there weren’t life vests available. However, the County has responded by stating that isn’t true.

Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Staff / Getty Images

According to Parks and Rec, Rivera was allegedly offered a life vest but ultimately decided not to wear it. It’s reported that when Josey was found floating alone on the rented boat, he was wearing a vest, but when Rivera’s remains were located days later, she wasn’t. The Blast reports that court documents from the County state, “Ms. Rivera was offered a life vest by Parks Management Company’s boat rental agent, which Ms. Rivera declined to wear, after which the rental agent ‘put the vest in the rental boat’.”

“Regardless of whether the (The Family) allege that the boat was not equipped with flotation devices, a life vest was present in the boat at the time of the incident.” Meanwhile, Ryan Dorsey, Naya’s ex-husband, issued a complaint against Ventura County Parks and Recreation, accusing them of renting out a boat “not equipped with a safely accessible ladder, adequate rope, an anchor, a radio, or any security mechanisms to prevent swimmers from being separated from their boats.”

Parks and Rec reportedly responded to Dorsey by saying he is mistaken. “Other than the lack of an anchor, no facts are alleged demonstrating how a lack of any of these things caused (Naya’s) death. The pleading does not allege that Ms. Rivera died while attempting to climb back into the boat, and therefore a lack of a safety ladder did not cause her death.” The County believes Rivera simply separated from her boat and struggled to return. They don’t believe it is of any fault of thier own that the actress sadly passed away.

[via][via]